Line Cook salary in the United States
Line cooks in the U.S. earned a median of $37,390 a year, or $17.98 an hour, in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The highest-paid 10% earned at least 1.7 times as much as the lowest-paid 10%.
Pay data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Job content: O*NET 31.0. Updated 2026-10-26.
- $37,390median annual wage
- $17.98median hourly wage
- $28,700 to $47,90010th to 90th percentile
- 1,409,890employed in the U.S.
Pay range
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $13.80 | $28,700 |
| 25th | $16.35 | $34,010 |
| Median (50th) | $17.98 | $37,390 |
| 75th | $21.45 | $44,620 |
| 90th | $23.03 | $47,900 |
| Mean | $18.62 | $38,730 |
Line Cook salary by state
Median wages and employment for every state where BLS published an estimate.
| State | Employed | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th to 90th percentile (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16,260 | $15.47 | $32,180 | $24,170 to $39,220 |
| Alaska | 2,350 | $19.30 | $40,140 | $36,230 to $46,800 |
| Arizona | 30,870 | $18.59 | $38,670 | $33,250 to $46,240 |
| Arkansas | 11,270 | $14.51 | $30,180 | $26,020 to $37,140 |
| California | 152,250 | $21.58 | $44,880 | $37,100 to $55,580 |
| Colorado | 30,600 | $20.00 | $41,600 | $34,590 to $49,650 |
| Connecticut | 14,830 | $18.98 | $39,480 | $35,460 to $49,420 |
| Delaware | 5,280 | $18.19 | $37,840 | $31,250 to $46,940 |
| District of Columbia | 7,720 | $22.18 | $46,130 | $36,440 to $53,020 |
| Florida | 124,040 | $17.80 | $37,020 | $29,710 to $46,450 |
| Georgia | 46,350 | $17.28 | $35,940 | $24,160 to $43,210 |
| Hawaii | 11,090 | $21.84 | $45,420 | $35,740 to $65,320 |
| Idaho | 8,130 | $17.52 | $36,440 | $25,470 to $47,020 |
| Illinois | 53,540 | $18.07 | $37,580 | $31,200 to $46,460 |
| Indiana | 26,960 | $16.91 | $35,170 | $26,000 to $44,190 |
| Iowa | 12,270 | $17.15 | $35,670 | $28,690 to $44,460 |
| Kansas | 11,620 | $16.89 | $35,130 | $26,120 to $44,540 |
| Kentucky | 13,510 | $16.65 | $34,640 | $24,750 to $43,750 |
| Louisiana | 14,910 | $13.97 | $29,050 | $21,970 to $39,540 |
| Maine | 5,130 | $21.78 | $45,290 | $38,040 to $49,530 |
| Maryland | 17,690 | $18.19 | $37,820 | $35,030 to $47,840 |
| Massachusetts | 29,570 | $21.92 | $45,600 | $36,540 to $58,590 |
| Michigan | 39,100 | $17.78 | $36,980 | $29,570 to $46,030 |
| Minnesota | 26,080 | $18.55 | $38,590 | $31,280 to $47,850 |
| Mississippi | 10,770 | $14.21 | $29,560 | $22,010 to $36,880 |
| Missouri | 25,990 | $17.76 | $36,940 | $28,890 to $46,970 |
| Montana | 7,580 | $18.30 | $38,060 | $29,380 to $47,670 |
| Nebraska | 4,750 | $17.81 | $37,030 | $28,680 to $44,880 |
| Nevada | 27,250 | $18.56 | $38,610 | $30,300 to $56,540 |
| New Hampshire | 7,190 | $19.33 | $40,200 | $34,390 to $49,400 |
| New Jersey | 28,800 | $18.49 | $38,460 | $32,220 to $50,010 |
| New Mexico | 7,810 | $16.84 | $35,020 | $28,100 to $43,400 |
| New York | 71,530 | $21.00 | $43,680 | $34,490 to $54,240 |
| North Carolina | 50,150 | $17.02 | $35,400 | $27,980 to $45,450 |
| North Dakota | 4,490 | $17.53 | $36,470 | $28,850 to $45,650 |
| Ohio | 46,910 | $17.09 | $35,540 | $27,590 to $44,940 |
| Oklahoma | 17,050 | $15.25 | $31,720 | $22,850 to $44,170 |
| Oregon | 21,550 | $20.72 | $43,100 | $36,080 to $58,280 |
| Pennsylvania | 54,100 | $17.59 | $36,580 | $22,650 to $45,120 |
| Rhode Island | 6,950 | $17.55 | $36,510 | $31,840 to $49,450 |
| South Carolina | 25,890 | $17.18 | $35,740 | $26,200 to $45,680 |
| South Dakota | 1,890 | $17.42 | $36,220 | $30,140 to $44,990 |
| Tennessee | 28,220 | $17.51 | $36,420 | $27,910 to $45,650 |
| Texas | 126,620 | $16.71 | $34,760 | $23,330 to $42,810 |
| Utah | 10,520 | $17.55 | $36,490 | $28,800 to $46,580 |
| Vermont | 2,360 | $21.82 | $45,390 | $31,210 to $56,180 |
| Virginia | 40,310 | $17.67 | $36,750 | $29,340 to $45,740 |
| Washington | 35,140 | $22.50 | $46,800 | $37,940 to $57,910 |
| West Virginia | 6,450 | $14.23 | $29,590 | $22,180 to $38,010 |
| Wisconsin | 25,410 | $17.57 | $36,550 | $28,010 to $46,270 |
| Wyoming | 2,710 | $17.71 | $36,830 | $27,850 to $52,530 |
Highest-paying states
- Washington: $46,800, 25% above the national median
- District of Columbia: $46,130, 23% above the national median
- Massachusetts: $45,600, 22% above the national median
- Hawaii: $45,420, 21% above the national median
- Vermont: $45,390, 21% above the national median
Lowest-paying states
- Louisiana: $29,050
- Mississippi: $29,560
- West Virginia: $29,590
- Arkansas: $30,180
- Oklahoma: $31,720
States with the most jobs
- California: 152,250 employed
- Texas: 126,620 employed
- Florida: 124,040 employed
- New York: 71,530 employed
- Pennsylvania: 54,100 employed
Where the job is most concentrated
Jobs per 1,000 jobs in the state, a measure of how common the occupation is locally.
- Hawaii: 17.672 per 1,000 jobs
- Nevada: 17.563 per 1,000 jobs
- Montana: 14.817 per 1,000 jobs
- Rhode Island: 13.868 per 1,000 jobs
- Florida: 12.492 per 1,000 jobs
More about this role
Line Cook career guide · Line Cook job description and interview questions
Salaries for related roles
- Fast Food and Counter Worker salary
- Server salary
- Bartender salary
- Hotel Front Desk Clerk salary
- Retail Sales Associate salary
- Cashier salary
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Sources and methodology
Wage and employment estimates: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, cross-industry estimates for all ownerships. Figures are as published; BLS does not publish some estimates for some states. As defined by BLS, wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses, and exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and other premium pay. BLS OEWS
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jobder has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET Database
Written and maintained by the Jobder team. Last updated 2026-10-26. Questions or corrections: support@jobder.pro.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average line cook salary?
The mean annual wage for cooks, restaurant in the U.S. was $38,730 in May 2025, and the median was $37,390. The median is the middle value: half of workers earned more, half earned less.
How much does a line cook make an hour?
The median hourly wage was $17.98 in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $13.80 and the 90th percentile was $23.03.
Where do line cooks earn the most?
Washington had the highest median annual wage, at $46,800, 25% above the national median.
Where do line cooks earn the least?
Louisiana had the lowest median annual wage, at $29,050.
Where does this data come from?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates, which cover wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments.